


The Seer and the Dragon King

by PippinPips



Category: Tenkuu no Escaflowne | The Vision of Escaflowne
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-18 12:42:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10617153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PippinPips/pseuds/PippinPips
Summary: While on the run from the Evil Zaibach Empire, Hitomi finds herself in the cursed lands of Fanelia where the vicious Dragon King is said to rule. How much of The Dragon King myth is true? It's something she'll have to find out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been about six years since I looked at this story, but a rewatch with a friend made me dust this little beauty off and look at it again. I've been revising it and trying to find the old notes for the story. It's already on FF.net where it debuted back in like 2009, I think, but I decided might as well place it here too.

**The Seer and the Dragon King**

**Chapter I**

 

The road obviously wasn’t use to visitors. The weeds and vines that had overtaken the road and were wary to relinquish their hold that they’d gained over decades. Normally Hitomi would have lingered to admire the way nature had reclaimed its stake, but not today. It was a little difficult to appreciate nature’s beauty when she was running away from men who wanted to recapture her. Instead of gazing at the vines and trees she was cursing them for hindering her escape.

The treacherous things kept reaching out and grabbing at her ankles, trying to slow her and keep her close to the clutches of her enemy. Except, it was that very treacherous act that saved her life. A vine wrapped itself around her ankle dragging her back down to the ground and with that fall she rolled to the ground falling into the brush that had yet to overcome the ancient path. Sticks pushed harshly against her tender skin while the leaves brushed and itched. Still, Hitomi just laid there catching her breath.

Her chest was still heaving at the exertion when she heard the sounds of her pursuers. The clomping and metallic sounds that could only come from Dilandau and his vile Slayers sounded thunderous to her ears, just like her heart that was slamming hard against her chest. She could have sworn Dilandau would hear the organ just as well as she could, yet when he did not stop, instead he moved forward until there was a startled yelp.

"Sir!" one of the Slayers called out. Hitomi imagined the sneer overcoming Dilandau’s lips.

"What?" she heard him demand.

"This is the territory of Fanelia," the words sent chills down her spine. As a child in their nomadic village Hitomi had often heard of the tales of Fanelia and its cursed king, though the tales told of a time years ago where Dragons still roamed free on Gaea along with Melefs being things of great importance. In the story it had told of a family that was cursed because of the mother's heritage, she passed on the curse to her children and thus the Fanel royal family was doomed to perish. Only the youngest, most feral Prince survived to rule with an iron fist until his curse too took him and changed him and his kingdom into a death trap. It was said that they would sleep until an unsuspecting soul wandered into their realm and then would awaken to consume the soul.

"And the Kingdom of Fanelia has been abandoned for centuries!" Dilandau snarled at his man. Hitomi scrunched her eyes tight as she remembered the second part. Something was to be able to break the curse, but she knew not of what would, no one did. Or if they ever had the knowledge had long since passed.

"But sir! The curse still lives! The seer is lost to us, she has most likely awoken the Dragon King and been sucked dry of her soul," another voice of a Slayer joined the fray. There was a pregnant silence before Dilandau uttered an irritated sigh and conceded. Hitomi knew that he had probably weighed the probability of his troops actually doing anything useful as they looked over their shadows waiting for the cursed Dragon King to pop out and suck their souls from their living bodies. Hitomi shuddered at the thought, but she was already in trouble, she had trespassed on the Fanelian territory. Though she'd rather take on the Dragon King than rather go head to head with Dilandau.

The sound of soldiers retreating never sounded so sweet. Once they were far enough away that she could stand without them spotting her, Hitomi did so only to face a large yellow eye. She stifled a scream that threatened to rip from her throat, Dilandau and his slayers were too close, and she had meant every word when she would rather be part of the Dragon King's meal than be back in Dilandau's hands.

Still the thought of actually being dragon food wasn't appealing, Hitomi shuffled back her eyes trained on the big yellow eye until a hand wrapped itself over her mouth. The hand was broad and covered in a brown leather glove, which felt strange against her flesh. Seeing as most people refrained from touching her, even if they had gloves, being touched was strange all on its own. Her back was brought against a broad chest alerting Hitomi to the size of her savior or captor, which ever he chose to be.

"Don't move," it was a hiss that seemed to slither into her ear from lips that were far from her body. It was strange she didn't know if it were humanly possible for him to be so close to her and yet she couldn't feel his breath against her skin even as he spoke to her. His grip on her body seemed to tighten as the creature blinked its overly large eye, and then it began to move. Hitomi watched in a mixture of horror and fascination as the long scaled neck moved into the vision after the eye.

Never before in her life had Hitomi ever seen a dragon up close so as the creature moved she was completely unaware of the fact that the gloved hand had moved away from her mouth as well as the body, which had disappeared all together. It was only until the tail lazily swung back and forth that she was aware of the fact that now she was all alone in the cursed Fanelian forest. Another shiver crawled down her spine and Hitomi was quick to scramble out of the underbrush. If she could get out without Dilandau catching her as well as keep herself safe from the Dragon King, the seer would take the route.

Her breath came out in pants and Hitomi only felt shock, as her eyes did not gaze upon the road instead she saw more of the strange forest. Perched upon a limb was a cat-person with bright pink hair. Fur covered the beast creature's entire body and the majority of the fur was brown and not pink.  A sense of unease curled around Hitomi’s spine caused by the combination of the patchy skin along with a wide feral grin that was spread along the feline's face. The seer shivered and tried to look away, but it was like a bar fight no matter what you did your eyes were always glued.

Hitomi forcefully clenched her eyes shut and tried to imagine back home, where people danced around fires, told stories anything they could get their hands on. Where dresses were vibrant colors and most wore jewelry sang as they moved, even the men wore them. She ignored the fact that the second she showed the she had indeed inherited her grandmother's gifts that they seemed to shy away from her even it if was only a little bit. She refused also to remember the day of her capture instead she focused on the good parts the interesting parts that made her life with the nomadic tribe so loving and great.

"What brings you to my lord's woods?" the feline asked and Hitomi's eyes snapped open and noticed that the creature had moved a few branches down and was looking at her curiously from glassy eyes.

"I-it was an accident I lost my way. I am just trying to find my way back to the road," she tried to look away from the eyes that seemed to be made from bobbles, but she couldn't, she couldn't even force herself to close her own eyes. The creature had her in a trap.

The feline clicked her tongue and shook her head, loose pink strands flopping listlessly as she did so, "Lying will get you nowhere with the Lord. And you can't escape, you have entered our realm, the road is no longer for your eyes. No matter how far you can see." She ended the reply with a chilling giggle. "Now, what to do with the liar girl? Leave her for the dragons or take her back home?" Hitomi watched the feline tap her chin before the grin once more came over the feline's face and she disappeared into the foliage. Suppressing the shudder that wanted to make it's way to the surface Hitomi looked at the ground and took a deep breath.

"I suppose that answers the question," she mumbled, but even as she did the noise of something rumbling caused her to look up. Trees were groaning as they moved out of her way creating a variation of a path, but not the one she was looking for. Still it was not proper to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she took the route trying to spot a fluff of pink or maybe a man with gloved hands. She didn't know where she was going, but she did know that this place would keep her safe from Dilandau for a while. At least until he got troops who weren't scared of the fables, the very fable that was now proving to be true. Would he try to turn back once he found out its truth?

Hitomi took a step forward and then stopped. She felt like she was falling and then there was a roar. A hideous bone-chilling roar as a male figure ran began to clash with a horde. Wings sprouted from his back, and it was then that Hitomi realized she was in a vision. The angle she was watching from was inhumanly possible. Her eyes watched as the man tore through the large group of soldiers in red. It wasn't until all were dead did she see him finally drop to his knees. By that point there was a louder roar and if felt like Hitomi was pushed through time and space to see as a mechanical white dragon stood proudly in a clearing, and then there was nothing.

Trees seemed to lean over causing a strange archway, but then again they had just been forcefully moved. Hitomi tried to ignore the oddities and tried to see if she could spot some pink except instead of seeing the cat girl again there were squirrels and other animals that were normal to see in normal forests. She frowned because the creatures did look normal, they even scurried away as she walked closer. Hitomi drew in her bottom lip and started to chew on it nervously. She nearly bit into the flesh completely when the forest ended with a slight incline before opening into a village. 

People lived here?

She arrived at the small village that seemed to be connected to a large, sprawling castle. Perhaps she was wrong and no one lived there. The village appeared to be deserted. No one walked the cleared roads and the doors to the homes were wide open. Hitomi only checked a few, but the ones she did were empty. It was as if everyone had all disappeared or left. Walking slowly forward, Hitomi looked around a little more. Where was everyone?

"They left," a deep and rough voice answered her unspoken question, "they left the second it reemerged. Seeing as they were not participants of the curse they were allowed to leave. The rest of us weren't so lucky." Turning around Hitomi saw a wolf man standing his eyes dull as if he were on the edge of life. He hobbled as he walked towards her. And his movements almost made her think he was one of the dead raised again. "I heard from my Lord that you had arrived. We were waiting for you." He gave a jerking bow and Hitomi just watched afraid of what would happen next, but the wolf man just hobbled over the path expecting her to follow along. He turned his head back when he noticed she had not moved from her spot.

"Am, am I in trouble?" she stuttered, eyes wide with fear. The beast man chuckled softly before shaking his head no.

"Just come along, you do not want to be left here when it comes to dark. I would know," he gave another chuckle this time it sounded raspy, and rattled. Once more he jerked his head towards the castle. "Come." This time Hitomi did follow the orders and with slow movements she trudged after the wolf man.

He led the way easily even though it seemed that he was about to fall to pieces even as he walked. For the most part the trip was silent except when the air was broken by screeches of something dying. It felt like her innards were shaking every time one of the screeches pierced the air. She glanced worriedly at the wolf man whom showed no signs of hearing the noises instead he dutifully led her into the castle.

There too it was silent as a tomb. Nothing moved and the air was still. The wolf man turned to her before bowing and leaving her there at the entrance of the castle. Hitomi hesitantly stepped into the foyer, and the doors swung shut with a deafening thud. Once more the silence seeped back into the castle. When it finally seemed to settle, Hitomi began to wonder if she would disrupt the silence and awaken the beasts inside if she dared to make a move. Preferably she would rather not cause to castle to come to life, but her legs were shaking and she felt tired. Now that she was no longer running and hiding the actual trauma she had endured had come crashing down upon her. It wasn’t a surprise when she stumbled forward. At that point it wasn’t even shocking to hear the pattering of feet rushing towards her. Tanned hand grabbed her shoulders and soon she was maneuvered so that she was carried like a bride should be.

From her position she could see the curled brown hair that flowed down the man's shoulders as well as he quite large nose. His skin was tanned, but it was still sickly pale beneath the tan, and his eyes a dull green as if he weren't seeing anything. Hitomi mused that he must be like the cat girl and the wolf man, but he was completely and utterly human. As much as she was at least, however, her musings were cut short by an unmistakable feminine shriek.

"Dryden! Put her down at once!" the woman, whom Hitomi had to crane her neck to see, practically screamed. The man, who was apparently named Dryden, quickly set her down before a sheepish looked came over his sickly pale face. Now that she could see him better, Hitomi noticed that his cheeks were sunken in as well as his eyes giving him quite a haunted look. "She's our guest not some barmaid!" the woman continued and thus brought Hitomi’s attention back to her. She too would have been strikingly beautiful if not for the fact that she looked as if she hadn't eaten for months. Indigo eyes stared hard over high cheek bones as blonde hair fell limply over her shoulders and back.

"Millerna, she was about to faint," a smooth charming voice was emitted from Dryden and he moved towards the blonde woman. "I couldn't throw her over my shoulder now could I?" he asked as he arched a brow. His arms were busy wrapping themselves around Millerna’s shoulders, and if she could, Hitomi was sure, the blonde would have blushed for she looked bashfully to the ground before a mask overcame her face and she shrugged the arms off.

"Well then, I apologize," her eyes still glued to the stone ground. "I knew not of your condition, Miss. Would you like some sort of refreshment?" Hitomi was startled by the offer and debated if it would be wise to eat the Dragon King's food. Would it be like the myths that once she consumed the food she would be part of their court?No, that was supposed to be the fae people. There was nothing about Dragon King feeding people. They only said he fed off of people. 

Hitomi sucked in a breath and looked at Millerna's slightly less dull eyes. They were not apprehensive nor did they seem too mischievous, all Hitomi could see was worry and caring. While the worry made her uneasy, Hitomi couldn't throw away the caring. It had been so long since someone had truly cared for her well being, not just the fact that she was a tool for use.

"I would like some," Hitomi said. A smiled spread over Millerna's face that looked like it could be painful for the woman, especially when her bottom lip split open and blood began to dribble on her grayed skin. However, neither Millerna nor Dryden seemed to notice it and that disturbed Hitomi more than anything.

"Okay, I'll send some tea up to your room, which Dryden will show you to," Millerna's smiled widened if it were possible and more blood droplets fell to her chin. Hitomi gave a shudder even as Dryden's cold arms touched her bare skin. How had she not noticed the chill of his flesh before? She wondered and looked at his overly thin face. Glasses sat perched on his nose and seemed to droop a little ways down. They too looked like they had seen better days, yet she did not comment upon that particular fact. Instead she watched as the castle seemed to come alive with others who looked very much like Dryden and Millerna, as if they had yet to consume food for months or if they were near death's door. What shocked her most were two grown leopard cat women who bounced down the halls carrying strange objects. Unlike the young cat girl she had seen the two looked like they were losing their hair as well as being too thin. Still even as sickly looking beings buzzed around Dryden seemed to take no notice of them.

They arrived at a door and Dryden swung it open. Standing in the midst of the room was a red headed girl who was leaning over the bed straightening the bed spread, and strangely enough out of everything of the castle the room looked new and well kept. The red head jumped back and looked at Hitomi almost wearily before smiling broadly at her. This smile too caused a split lip and bleeding, but unlike Millerna the girl covered her lips and looked bashful without the blushing. It was so strange to Hitomi they could obviously bleed and yet they could not blush.

"Just finishing now are you Yukari?" Dryden asked a playful note to his tone. Once more the red head looked down at the ground and gave a nervous chuckle. "Or did you want to see the new guest?" Yukari looked up her eyes seeming to be the liveliest out of all the people and creatures she had passed, excluding the dragon.

"You caught me. I wanted to catch sight of her," Yukari held up her hands as if to say, you caught me red-handed. Hitomi frowned and wondered why she seemed so different. She knew from the legend that the curse was over the entire lands of Fanelia, so wouldn't it be easy to lure in unsuspecting victims. "She is very pretty," Yukari nodded as if she were approving of Hitomi's appearance.

"Very well, but I was sure that Millerna was expecting your help in the kitchen," Dryden warned. What little color that was in Yukari's face left as Dryden's comment and she quickly rushed out of the room whispering apologies. Looking back to Dryden after the door soundly closed, Hitomi noticed an amused look on Dryden's features.

"Well, then," he began, "I'll leave you to settle in and the tea should be up in a few minutes." With that Dryden bowed out leaving Hitomi with only her own presence as comfort. She plopped down on the bed and hugged her arms as she ran through the things that had happened that day and from her deduction she had ended in somewhere slightly better than she had started out. At least the people in weren’t beating her.

If she had been caught, she was sure Dilandau would have had thought it necessary to give at least forty lashings minimum. He seemed the relish in punishment as well was burning things. Before her escape Hitomi had watched in horror as Dilandau had brutally hit and beat upon one of his soldiers. Looking back on that, Hitomi wasn't too sure it would be a minimum of forty lashings, he would have probably to start off with a little bit of burning. She shuddered at the thought of that. For the rest of her wait for the tea Hitomi had kept her eyes closed tightly.

The door swung open and she snapped her eyes open to see Yukari walk in. Hitomi wondered if it were just her eyes or if the girl looked slightly healthier as if she had fuller cheeks and more color to them as well. Yet then again maybe she had always looked as that. It was obviously possible that after being sent into such a horrifying place that her sense of what was actually happening would be skewed. Gratefully Hitomi received the cup of tea and took a tentative sip.

"I apologize for being such a bother, but could you finish your tea quickly? The King wishes to see you as he has returned from his hunt," Yukari asked, her head bowed. Hitomi felt her stomach lurch and the fear begin to trickle back inside. She sucked in breath through her nose before giving a quick affirmative nod. She had already brought herself that far and now there was no turning back now, she would have to meet the Dragon King. The only thing Hitomi wished she could do was savor the tea and make the Dragon King wait, however from the legend it would be suicidal and thus she just set the cup down and nodded to Yukari that she was ready.

"Is there anything that I shouldn't do like not stare at his face?" Hitomi asked and Yukari got a funny look on her face and shook her head.

"It depends on his mood. I mean it’s always just touch and go even for the ones that have been with him for a while," Yukari tried to explain. But Hitomi didn't have the heart to respond because from what Yukari had told her the Dragon King was very dangerous. Why wouldn't he be? She’d heard the stories of his cruelty. 

What she had imagined the Dragon King to be was definitely not what she saw. Instead of a tall and imposing man with eyes like fire and something that would make him beast like instead she was met with a handsome young man who had to be near her age. His hair was dark black and flopped over his bronzed, healthy looking, face which rested upon his gloved palm. Hitomi sucked in a breath when she saw the glove. The very one she was sure that had covered her mouth earlier that day. Her own green eyes latched onto his garnet ones in hope she would see recognition all she saw was pure boredom.

While he sat in a throne, Hitomi couldn't find anything of his attire that made him seem kingly. A red shirt stretched across his broad chest and shoulders while a pair of tanned pants were covering his narrow hips. To be quite honest with herself Hitomi would have suspected that he was some sort of worker not a king, though she had to admit he looked quite attractive except for the scowl that had covered his face.

"You again," he sighed looking at her as if she were a mere ant, "in the state that I had found you I would have expected you to be somewhere in the forest…dead." Hitomi saw red. Sure he had saved her from a dragon, but she was sure she could have eventually found her way out of the whole mess. He didn't know her because if he did then he would have swallowed the words.

"Well, apparently I am far more apt than you give me credit for, sire," she gritted the words out. There was a flash in the Dragon King's eyes, was it amusement or anger, before it was quickly hidden once more.

"Well then I am glad to hear of that," his tone said it all though, he wasn't all that glad of her back talk. He seemed to dismiss her words as he began to speak once more, "I expect you to have dinner with me this evening do you accept?" Hitomi was about to snap that no she didn't accept when out of the corner of her eye Yukari jerked her head up and down. Survival would mean that she would have to spend a few hours of her day with the Dragon King.

"I accept," she kept her teeth gritted and the Dragon King smiled with arrogance before waving her off.

"Then I suspect you'll wish to change and bathe as well," Hitomi's nostrils flared and she was about to snap at him when Yukari intervened by grabbing her by the shoulders and leading her away from the scene. The man was unbearable! It wasn't really the words he chose it was completely his tone the  _ holier than thou _ way of saying things. If she ever caught him with out one of his numerous servants around she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

Once Yukari deposited her in her room Hitomi let out a growl and stomped her foot while saying: "Jerk!" Yukari was standing back watching her as she threw a fit for a few minutes. When she was done Hitomi noticed a warm bath already there. Glancing over at Yukari, who looked even healthier, was still in her spot she had taken at the beginning of the fit.

"This place is magical," was Yukari's only response to the oddity. Hitomi couldn't just shake it off that a steaming bath had appeared and filled itself up out of nowhere. Even so after a prodding from Yukari, she was ready to get out of her dirty traveling clothes and clean her hair.

Though the moment Hitomi began to undress Yukari had excused herself, which Hitomi was glad for. She preferred to bathe in solitude. As she sunk into the warm water, Hitomi gave a sigh of contentment before relaxing further in the tub. Questions began to run through her mind as she laid there. If the place was so magical then why did all the people look so bad? Why did Yukari look more healthy and also why did the King look like he was properly fed as well as being in top form? How did the trail disappear? The last question made her stomach turn into led. Would Dilandau be able track her down even in this place?

The musings that were tormenting her mind ended when a knock came hard against the door. At first Hitomi suspected it was Yukari until the smooth masculine voice of Dryden slipped through the cracks.

"Miss are you ready to go to dinner yet?" he asked and Hitomi frowned. She couldn't have been in the tub for more than five minutes, yet when she raised one foot for the waters she saw that her skin was looking quite prune like. She wiggled the small digits and then stood from the tub, water splashing onto the floor, but then being quickly sucked back up. The noise must have alerted Dryden to her state of dress because he did not continue to ask her if she were ready instead he was silent.

Hitomi wrapped herself in a robe, after drying of course, and then once again with the strange magic that filled the castle a dress appeared at the foot of her bed. It was a silk like green dress with a white underskirt. The thing appeared to fasten in the back underneath her bosom and Hitomi was sure that she would need to embarrass Dryden, by calling him into the room, to get the dress on. Except she didn't the second she got something on that needed to be fastened it would be done by the time her hands reached the ends. In the end the dress was basically tying itself and once she was done Hitomi was allowed to admire her appearance in the mirror. The dress had fit the green of her eyes enhancing them as well as her short blonde locks of hair that apparently were dried by the magic of the castle.

Though she was not vain, Hitomi spent a few moments gazing at her appearance in the mirror. It was more like there was another person staring at her a regal lady of the courts, not a runaway seer from a nomadic tribe. Deciding that she had enough of staring at her own reflection Hitomi walked towards the door and opened it. Yet, when she did her heart leapt into her throat and she gasped.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**The Seer and the Dragon King**

**Chapter II**

 

The gasp had made Dryden look up and she got a better look at his face. No longer were his cheeks sunken in and now there was a mischievous glint to his eyes that were hidden behind well kept glasses, though the glasses still seemed to be sliding down his nose. He smiled at her reaction and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Did you guys just pull the whole undead look because I was new?" she asked and Dryden shook his head.

"No, during the day we looked like that, but at night we become what we once were," Dryden explained without mentioning the curse or the legend. Did they think she had no knowledge of the curse? Maybe they had no idea how much time had passed she frowned.

"Oh, I see," she nodded. Part of her wanted to slink back into her room and slam the door shut. It was all just too strange even for a young woman who often saw the future.

"Are you coming?" Dryden asked. Hitomi gave another nod and headed out of her room. Once more servants bustled, but now their faces were full and pink from the heat and their rush. Their hair too was back to being glossy and bouncy. "Strange isn't it?" Dryden asked watching her face and its movement.

"But we should hurry the King does not like to be kept waiting and heads will roll if he is." Hitomi wasn't sure if Dryden was kidding so instead of commenting she just followed him through the winding halls. At night the castle seemed to shine with life and everything was back in tiptop shape. If the castle had been any normal place she would have been certain that it took hours for the servants to clean. It was practically sparkling and stone didn't sparkle. Well, not unless it had something of a reflective property in it.

"How long will this dinner take?" Hitomi asked trying to keep up with Dryden's long strides. The man looked down at her and flashed a charming smile.

"All night if the King is in a good mood," he replied almost airily and Hitomi blanched. She couldn't have a dinner all night! She had been awoken quite early that day by Dilandau and had escaped by the skin of her teeth. She was exhausted.

"Does he usually have dinners throughout the night?" she asked afraid that the answer would be a yes.

"No, only on special occasions," Dryden replied, looking quite uncomfortable with her line of questioning, but he was soon saved by a blonde woman who swept passed. Her hair was pulled into an intricate knot and yet the strands that artistically let down were slightly curled in a wavy sort of way. "Millerna!" Dryden called out as if he really didn't want to be questioned longer. Millerna turned and Hitomi had to suck in another gasp. She had been right earlier, Millerna was quite striking when she looked healthy.

"What are you two doing here!" she hissed her indigo eyes darting back and forth. "The king sent for her sometime back! Why are you just now heading towards dinner. You weren’t?" she began and Dryden sighed.

"Millerna! I flirt! I've always been a flirt, but I never go further," Dryden insisted and Millerna gave him a look that definitely said that she was going to watch him from now on. Before Dryden could reply to her expression she grabbed Hitomi's armed and strong-armed her to the dining room, where a feast laid. The aroma tickled Hitomi's nose as well as caused her mouth to salivate. But the feeling of near euphoria ended when she caught sight of the Dragon King's face.

"Get lost Dryden?" he asked, flickering his eyes to the other man who had just entered. And yet once again when Dryden was about to reply or make an excuse the Dragon King waved him off. "I do not care to listen to your excuses I know who's fault it is," he leaned once more on his palm, which was now bare, and stared at Hitomi. She felt as if he could bore holes into her very being with his dark look.

"Is the dinner cold?" Hitomi asked trying to be sweet because from the looks of the other members of the table she was treading on very dangerous grounds.

"No, the food in this castle once prepared cannot get cold," he replied eyeing her warily now.

"Well, then there is nothing to complain about. The food would have been just as good if I had been allowed a few extra washes in the bath," Hitomi jutted her chin out, but jumped when the Dragon King slammed his fist to the table.

"Some of us do not have all night to wait," his voice sounded much like the hiss he had had when they first met, when he had saved her from a dragon, but her gratitude for the action had all dried up the second he opened his mouth.

"Then you could've told me that I needed to bathe quickly. The fault doesn't lie solely on me!" Hitomi jabbed her thumb against her chest as she argued. The Dragon King stared at her in response for a long while before leaning back into his chair and looking away from her. Millerna, whom had stood to her right the whole time, let out a sigh of relief before ushering her to a seat, and the seat of all horrors was near the Dragon King.

During the first course, Hitomi made a point of never looking towards the aggravating, but handsome King. Instead she tried to begin conversations with Dryden or Yukari since Millerna was busy instructing servants to set the tables and who needed what. A handsome brunette male sat beside Yukari and from the conversation the two were exchanging Hitomi could only guess that he was Amano and also by the way they were looking into each other's eyes Hitomi was sure that they were in love. By the second course the conversations were picking up.

"So, how faired the hunt today, milord?" a blond man inquired, and Hitomi noticed the striking resemblance between him and Yukari's Amano.

"It had been going quite well until the dragon found something else that caught it's attention," the sound of his voice drew her eyes to him, and Hitomi saw that he was glaring at her slightly. So, he blamed her for his bad hunt. She snorted and looked away still feeling slightly enraged. Placing her hands on the table Hitomi stood up so that she could leave.

"Going somewhere?" the Dragon King asked his voice once more returning to its mocking tone. It seemed as if the King would mock her and blame her all night, and she wasn't going to take it. Looking up she bared her teeth at him and only received an amused arch of his eyebrow.

"Millerna, would you bring out the third course please?" he asked and the blonde woman nodded. This went on for another three courses before desert. The King would taunt her wait for her to rise up to the bait and then comment upon her bad mood. And what was worse he did it all with the mocking tone that cause her blood to pound hard in her skull.

Though, thankfully, as the cold desert was served the King was finally silent and he excused her when she stood for the second time, his eyes glimmering in mirth. Hitomi just glared at him before stomping off. Soft feet followed her and she was just about to turn around and tell the person that she'd rather they leave, when she saw Yukari's face.

"I am so sorry the King did that. We've never seen him act so antagonistic to any guest," she apologized. Her head bowed as if she had been the one misbehaving.

"There is no need to apologize on his behalf," Hitomi shook her head, "I will just know that he is will test my patience every second he can get, but now I am very tired and I wish to sleep." Yukari nodded and whispered an of course before letting Hitomi trudge on to her bedchambers.

 

Down in the kitchens Millerna and Dryden were cleaning. Though Millerna was doing most of the cleaning Dryden was mostly sitting on a stool munching on an apple and he would sometimes put away a dish or two. They had been silent until they were sure both the king and the new guest were retiring to their beds.

"Does he have no hope?" Millerna whirled on Dryden and he  nearly dropped his fruit in shock.

"I would suppose he might be giving up, and why are you yelling at me?" he frowned before taking a bite out of the red fruit. Millerna growled.

"I don't understand it! He has no time limit!" she wiped her hand vigorously on a towel and stomped one of her feet. "He could wait ages for a woman to come along to break the spell." 

"Did you ever think that maybe a woman isn't needed to break the spell?" Dryden wiggled his brows.

"Oh, you are impossible!" Millerna stomped her foot once more and returned to the suds. She glared at the water as if it had caused her some great distress, though Dryden was sure that he was far happier that the water was getting the brunt of her irritation rather than himself being her victim."Let's just face it the curse from what we know only speaks of love of the purest form? What about brotherly love?" Dryden suggested. Millerna snorted at his suggestion before turning to look at him. 

"Then we all would have been saved years ago," she replied. 

Hitomi awoke with a start to see a skeletal being opening the drapes of her window. A scream threatened to rip from her throat and it seemed that it was then that the being noticed her. Brown hair curled around a small boned face and sunken in brown eyes stared at her.

"Ah, you are awake, milady, I will tell the kitchens that you need your breakfast," she bowed and Hitomi was sure the woman should be falling apart. Still she moved and walked as if nothing ailed her. Frowning Hitomi tried to recall the night before and wondered vaguely if Dryden had at all looked healthy or if it had all been her imagination if she had just wanted so badly for everyone to look normal.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stretched her arms and set her feet down on the cool stone before jerked her legs back up. Strangely enough, even though as she felt everything else Hitomi couldn't feel hunger that usually tormented her early in the morning. Actually she felt quite content. She was just about to rush out and tell the maid that it was no big deal and that she didn't need to contact anyone in the kitchens when she ran into a male chest, and one she didn't recognize. Though from the force she began to teeter backwards and luckily the man caught her in just the angle in which she could study his face.

Unlike the rest of the ghouls the man looked just like he was suffering from a sickness, his skin pale but still had the fullness of a person who ate regularly, though it was not his face that attracted her attention. No, what had her eyes glued was the man's bluish hair and tear drop marking. She didn't even notice the slightly familiar eyes until a few moments if obviously staring at the man. The Dragon King's eyes, she almost gasped, but the man obviously wasn't the Dragon King. He was a completely different person. Pale where the King was dark. 

"Be careful," he spoke with a cultured voice of royalty and Hitomi tried to piece together the jagged pieces without key points. Unlike the King he slightly resembled the man was nice.

"You look," the first words she uttered to him and she couldn't believe she was such simpleton.

"I look? Oh, I look like Van, right," he smiled softly and Hitomi could only blink in confusion. Who was Van? She was going to shake her head, but then the man gave a small laugh and nodded. "Of course he hasn't told you his name. Van is the king of this castle as well as my baby brother." The seer reeled at the admission. The Dragon King had a sibling? No, never in any legend had he had any relations that survived the curse, but then legends changed didn't they?

"Wait!" she grabbed her dressing gown in her clenched fists, "you said baby brother!"

"That I did," he smiled.

"How is he the king then?" Hitomi demanded. The man looked at her as if he pitied the fact that she had no idea what was going on. The seer frowned at the look but kept staring at him waiting for his answer.

"Back when both Van and I were up for the throne there was a ceremony that we had to complete before being King. I unfortunately couldn't complete it," he explained as if it would answer every question and with a flourish he walked away. There he left Hitomi to wonder what ceremony, what type of thing had the boys had to do? The man who had been before her had seemed so cultured to the wildness that seemed to roll off the Drago- no Van. His name was Van, it was cruel to call him something else when it was so obvious that he had another name.

This time instead of searching for a maid, Hitomi went directly to the kitchen hoping Millerna would be there. She had seemed nice and caring, plus she had probably been around since the beginning of the curse. As she entered the kitchen, Hitomi looked for a head of blonde hair, except there was no blonde in the vicinity. A frown marred her face.

"Oh! Milady! What are you doing out here?" one of the skeletal beings asked.

"I was searching for Millerna. Have you seen her?" she asked and the being nodded. It looked very strange to see someone of such a disgusting point nodded their head as if it were normal. The beings were only skin and bones and no matter how much Hitomi tried to ignore the fact, it still rolled her stomach.

"Yes she is in the gardens, that way," the being clarified and it didn't take Hitomi long before she bolted out of the room and was heading for the gardens. When she arrived there was another roll of her stomach because the skeletal being kneeled down before her was definitely Millerna.

"Millerna?" she hesitantly asked. Millerna looked up and gave a tiny smile this time maybe she was aware of the cracking of lips.

"Oh, sweetie, didn't Dryden tell you? It's only at night when we look like what we once were. Don't be afraid," she held out her hand as if asking for Hitomi to take it. Her face didn't fall when Hitomi refused to take her hand, and instead just sat down and stared at her legs. 

"So, that wasn't a dream?" Hitomi asked. Millerna shook her head and picked a few peppers from the garden.

"No, my dear it wasn't. That is part of the curse," she continued to work as she spoke, and Hitomi just nodded. Both of them worked in silence for a while hands moving to pull out the few weeds that the magic didn't see fit to keep out as well as gathering the vegetables. The work was therapeutic in a sense because the mind was at rest while the body worked, except for the moment Hitomi thought of the strange older brother she had met.

"Does Van have an older brother?" she inquired and watched as Millerna stilled. Hitomi could only assume two things had shocked the cook: Hitomi's knowledge of Van's name as well the knowledge of a brother. Millerna was still for a while before she glanced back at Hitomi with wide indigo eyes.

"Yes, Lord Van has a brother. Did you meet him?" she asked. Hitomi nodded and opened her mouth to ask another question but Millerna held her hand up already assuming the nature of the second question. "His name is Folken and I cannot tell you any more than that. It is not my place." It was then that Hitomi realized that no one knew her name they all had referred to her as miss, the guest, or Milady.

"Call me Hitomi, and I wish that you would. It's very confusing trying to figure this all out when no one even gives me even the barest of hints," she rubbed her arm and looked at Millerna who was still as if she were debating something.

"Hitomi I cannot tell you everything. I wish I could but it is not yet my place. From what most of us know is that one day there was a war and the next day everyone disappeared except those who were in the castle. Even if they were ambassadors of another country," Millerna looked down at her hands as if a memory were playing over in her head. Hitomi reached out gently trying to also see what Millerna did, but nothing came to her. For what seemed the first in a long while she could not see memories along with others. "The war was dying down and, well it was all settling. But then Van, something happened and we were left with this curse," Hitomi watched as Millerna went straight back to her work, her shoulders shaking in unshed tears.

Could she even cry? Hitomi wondered, but she did not comment instead she stayed and worked along with Millerna as they pulled more weeds and picked more vegetables. Though she had many, many more questions, Hitomi refrained from speaking any. It already seemed as if Millerna had bared her soul enough. She had mentioned ambassadors from other countries. Were the ambassadors still around, or did they somehow choose death or were let go? Hitomi frowned wondering, why was it that when someone gave her information that it only left her with more questions? She didn't feel satisfied or like she had gotten anywhere. Dragging a hand through her hair she sighed and bid Millerna good-bye for the moment. Millerna replied with a farewell in return though from her voice it sounded as if she were choking on tears.

Walking back to her rooms Hitomi frowned and played with her fingers as she thought as to what had happened. Van was definitely the target of the curse, though why did him looking young and handsome do with his curse? Did it pain him to see others suffer while he could do nothing, and if that was the cause then why would anyone curse a man who cared so much? He was obviously trapped within his lands, but the Fanelian territory was far and wide. It had never been dotted with villages, but everyone knew that there were hundreds of acres of woodland and what not that the once proud Fanelian nation had to its name. So, it wasn't as if he was trapped in a little box. So, what exactly did the curse target? And if she could find what it was targeting could she find a way out?

"Dadadum," Hitomi's head jerked up at the sound of someone singing, a slightly familiar voice that she could have sworn she had heard once before. Whipping her head to the side, where the voice seemed to originate from Hitomi saw a familiar fluff of pink. The cat girl! Her mouth gaped open at the realization. "Dadadum do do, lalala do do," the cat girl sang a strange melody and danced as she did. Though she was dancing on twig like legs that seemed devoid of musculature. Still she moved with an inhuman grace and Hitomi felt compelled to follow her.

If the cat girl knew that she was following her, she gave no indication as she danced through the halls still humming the haunting melody. Part of Hitomi wondered if the cat girl was leading her in somewhat the same way she had before only now she was using herself as the trail instead of moving the trees. The cat girl never looked back, never acknowledged anything. It shocked Hitomi when the cat girl seemed to disappear before her eyes into two very large doors. She pushed the doors open and was assaulted with the sight of large mechanical machine. The one she was sure she had scene before in the shape of the dragon.

Hitomi's eyes were drawn to the machine and so she did not notice as the cat girl sneakily traipsed out of the room with a mischievous smile on her face. 


	3. Chapter 3

**The Seer and the Dragon King**

**Chapter III**

 

The mechanical beast began to move it's head twisting back and forth as if it were shaking off a sleep. The sight caused Hitomi to stumble backwards. Fear welled in her stomach as the beast, now looking very real to her leaned forward and almost seemed to sniff her. Was it going to eat her? Or what? The mechanical dragon pressed it's chilled nose to her cheek. It's green eyes flashed dangerously and Hitomi then felt as if she were falling. Though it was almost like a phantom feeling. She knew she was standing still but the feeling of falling was coupled with a wavering of her sight.

Once her sight returned to normal she noticed she was somewhere else in the castle as the mechanical dragon was gone. Also, there was something off about the castle it seemed and felt very, very different. The air of the place was far more alive, like it had been the night before, except not as desperate. Frowning Hitomi wondered for a moment if she was having a vision, before she started down the hall in search of someone anyone. She was rewarded by stumbling upon Van and an older man.

The older man had a scar on his face that looked very fresh and a gruff voice as he began to speak to Van. In the beginning their voices were muffled as if someone were covering their mouths but then Van looked to the older man his eyes worried. "We can't hold out much longer," Van put his head in his hands, and for a single moment Van reminded Hitomi of a child. A child who was scared of failing and wanted to be told what he was doing was right. The older man placed his large hand on Van's shoulder.

"Van," the man spoke in a grave tone, "you should speak to Asturia. Make a pact with them. They are also hurting from this war." Though his head was still in his hands Hitomi could see Van clench and unclench his teeth. He was wavering so unlike the king she had seen last night.

"But Asturia they," he paused looking up at the older man, "Balgus, Asturia is the ones who announced war upon all of us in the first place? How am I to conduct peace meetings when their king is responsible for my father's death!" His words sounded forced and Hitomi for a moment felt her heart pang for the poor boy.

"Van, they did not ask for your father to step in and join in the war. He did so because he believed it was the best way to keep Fanelia protected," Balgus, Hitomi assumed, replied with a terse tone. It was interesting to see a less cocky side of Van, but something else interested Hitomi. It had been thousands of years since the great country of Asturia fell to Zaibach after losing the Final War. At the time she lived in Zaibach ruled almost everything there were only a few countries that survived over the years and kept their independence. Her nomadic tribe had been one of the few independent tribes, but while it helped date the vision Hitomi wondered at which point of the war did Fanelia fall into a curse. A snort coming from Van returned her attention to the conversation.

"It didn't help it killed father and crippled Folken," Van replied regaining a glimmer of the arrogant and cocky attitude Hitomi was familiar with. "Fanelia is in worse peril because of that!" Balgus shook his head.

"Van, Fanelia lost a king but the gained another one just the same. A king who will be great," he looked directly at the young King his hand still on the boy's shoulder. "Just remove your emotions from the equation, and think about what would be best for Fanelia." Van  looked away for a moment and Hitomi wondered if he was actually taking the words to heart, but she didn't know him well enough to say if he was or if he wasn't. For a moment she forgot she was in a vision and she reached out to touch the young king. Her hand passed through him, but almost as if he had felt her touch he looked up confused.

"I will speak to Asturia about joining forces to destroy Zaibach," Van didn't look at Balgus instead it felt as if he were staring at her, but that was impossible. It was merely a vision and in visions she couldn't interact with anything. She was simply a bystander to the action.

"They will want you to fight Lord Van," the man slipped in the title now. Van looked back at the scarred man.

"I know and I will for Fanelia," Van looked out of the window and as he did Hitomi's vision swam before her eyes.

Once more when it righted itself she found herself somewhere else, but it was somewhere she recognized. The dragon was still nose to nose with her, but now its green eyes were dull almost lifeless. Hitomi lifted her hand and stroked the metallic cheek of the dragon. It's eyes reawakened and she felt the falling sensation again.

This time she knew time had passed since her original vision. The castle seemed lonelier and instead of happening to come upon Van she was in a room with him. He was sitting on the edge of a bed, leaving Hitomi to assume she was in his bedroom, which caused a blush to stain her cheeks, even though she really wasn't there. He was shirtless at the moment allowing Hitomi to see his muscles he had seemingly gained since her last vision of his. He looked more like the man she knew now and he must have been at least two years older by how much he had seemed to age. Though it could very well be due to the haggard appearance he had. Still as he moved to dress she could feel the tiredness and something else come from him. There was a knock on the door.

"King Van, Asturia's princess has arrived seeking safety," a servant spoke softly. Hitomi turned around and looked at the person. There was nothing distinguishing about them, but they did keep their eyes averted from the king's topless form.

"Allow her sanctuary and anyone traveling with her," he commanded his face hard and his eyes burning with anger. Van stood once the door closed and the servant most likely rushed off to relay the message. Once more though, Van turned his head towards Hitomi as if he actually could see her, but unlike before his eyes passed through her. "Asturia is weakening. I need to awaken the dragon if we are to win this blood bath," he spoke softly to himself before arching his neck back and staring at the ceiling. "Father would you take Escaflowne in a time like this?" There was no answer to his pleading question, but Hitomi wanted to reach out and help him.

Yet as her hand touched his skin, his seemingly solid skin Van jumped and looked directly at her his eyes wide with shock and fear. His eyes darted back and forth before he uttered what almost sounded like a cry. "Father? Was that a yes?" he asked looking all around. Hitomi reached forward again trying to understand if she had just imagined touching Van or if she had. Once more the pads of her finger touched his warm skin, but then as she did her vision swam and she was once again standing before the mechanical dragon.

However the dragon was no longer face to face with her. Instead it stood once more tall and proud like it had when she first arrived, it was as if it had never moved. She stared at it a few more minutes before a noise shocked her into turning around. The man Van had referred to as Allen had stepped into the room and his blue eyes were wide with shock. His mouth dropped open and he looked as if he were to scream, yet no sound left his lips.

"Lady!" he finally choked out, "What are you doing in Escaflowne's chambers?" His face also seemed to whiten. "It is forbidden!" There he actually seemed to raise his voice. Hitomi looked to him confused.

"But, the cat girl. She led me here. I mean she, she was," the seer looked around the room but it was empty except for Escaflowne, herself, and Allen. The cat girl was nowhere to be see. "She was here," she was adamant on that particular fact. Allen looked at her sadly and nodded slowly.

"I believe you. Merle can be somewhat troublesome, but we must leave this room at once before the King finds us," he motioned for her to follow him and Hitomi wanted to demand when he was going to this room if it was forbidden for others to be in it, but she was not allowed to ask the question as the second Allen exited through the door, it slammed shut and there was a metallic clicking sound of a lock. A startled yelp came from the other side and then sounds of something pounding on the door began.

"My lady! Are you alright? Do not panic I shall get the king!" Allen's voice came from the other side and for a moment Hitomi wondered why she would panic. There was obviously nothing to fear in the room. The Escaflowne had been rather startling but nothing to cause her to fear. Still Allen's worry must be warranted? Turning back around she jumped as once more Escaflowne was leaning down its head near hers. A chill crawled down her spine as she felt something utterly ominous of the situation at hand. This Escaflowne was not like the one who had given her visions. It brushed against her and she had a quick spurt of a vision.

She saw flashes of blood seeming to leak heavily from a wound, part of her knew it was a wound she had caused. But when she looked down it wasn't her hands holding the blade. Strong, masculine, and tanned hands gripped the sword, and as if she were just a puppet in the body of someone else's, Hitomi watched as the sword was lifted and as it hacked through a screaming soldier's arm. A ghost like feeling of happiness flittered through her. Happiness that this soldier was getting what was coming to him, she had been and the body too had been too enthralled in the enjoyment in the carnage that a hot pain slicing through her forearm shocked her out of the vision.

Hitomi stumbled back still feeling the pain from the cut. Her arm went to where the mark had been caused and her body went still as she touched a warm liquid that was trailing down her arm. Pulling the hand back she stared at her blood covered palm. With wide fearful eyes she looked up at Escaflowne. She no longer felt safe especially when the mechanical beast lunged forward again. A scream ripped from her throat as she fell back.

  
  


Van wouldn't say he was enjoying the sounds of his servants scuttle around afraid to be seen in the light of day, but he preferred their company rather than Allen's now frantic rush towards him. He knew something was off the second Merle had walked past him a smile on her strangely gaunt face, he hated seeing her so pained, but seeing Allen come running he knew it was something very bad.

"What is it Allen?" he asked. The blond man looked at him and sucked in a breath before replying.

"The Lady Hitomi is locked in the room with Escaflowne. Merle lured her in there and as I was about to lead her out the door closed and locked," Allen explained. Van's blood chilled. Escaflowne, now that the curse was settled, was rather dangerous just like the curse had dictated it should be, and for a moment while his throat seemed to dry out and close in upon itself, Van wondered if he would lose the girl to the curse in a way that no other had been lost in. Bolting up from his seat he almost ran to the ceremonial room.

Behind him Allen followed, though Van was sure it was with half worry and half curiosity. No one but him knew what was so dangerous about Escaflowne, the others had just been ordered not to enter the room. Of course Van wasn't daft enough to believe that everyone would automatically follow his orders when something so mysterious was presented before them, but at least he hadn't lost anyone to that part of the curse.

Van rounded the corner and there down the hall almost taunting him was large stone door that lead to Escaflowne. He sucked in a deep breath and moved purposefully towards the door, Allen still trailing behind him. The other man's presence at that very moment was somewhat annoying to Van's fraying nerves. When he opened the door what would Escaflowne present him with? Would she be alive or dead? Would her body be mangled or would she look peaceful except for her face that would be set in terror. His stomach lurched as he touched the cool stone. The very stone began to heat beneath his touch and behind him Allen gave a gasp.

What exactly had happened to him because of the curse had never been discussed or shown. Van felt his body quiver as the heat radiated from him. The sound of the lock releasing allowed the relief to swarm into Van's belly only to be stilled with the chill of fear at the sight of the young woman curled up on the floor her body leaking a precious fluid. The most noticeable wound was a gash on her left forearm. A mirror image to the very scar that was on his right. Tentatively Van stroked the ever puckered scar tissue, before shaking himself out of it. With a growl he twisted around to see Allen's horrified face.

"Tell Millerna to get her things ready, she has a patient," he commanded in a booming tone he hadn't used since the war. Allen's eyes snapped to him first before he nodded and rushed off to the only person who had a decent amount of medical training. Once Allen was gone Van dropped to his knees not even caring that the blood seep. In the long run it was all his fault for if not for his behavior back during the war, then the curse wouldn't have happened and Hitomi wouldn't have been attacked by Escaflowne.

Scooping her into his arms, Van cradled her fragile body. He wasn't sure the exact amount of blood that was in the human body but he was sure that Hitomi had lost too much. Hopefully the magic would take effect and begin to stitch her up enough before Millerna had to get her hands on her. Hitomi whimpered as he began his slow walk down the halls to where Millerna had set up her things for when he had been hurt so badly that by the time he arrived back home the magic had yet to stitch him up fully.

The guilt was still ripping into him by the time he put Hitomi down on a cot. Luckily the second she had been out of the Escaflowne's room the magic had begun to take to her. She was no longer as pale and she seemed to be coming into consciousness. He watched as her lashes fluttered before revealing her shockingly green eyes. Her hand shot up and grabbed his right arm, right where his flesh puckered. Her fingers still stained with dried blood traveled over the scar and Van watched as her brows furrowed and then her eyes widen with some sort of realization.

"You," she whispered. The look in her eyes gave Van a sense of unease as if she knew something more than she should. There was too much knowledge in her eyes. It took most of his practiced control to keep himself from stumbling away from her in fear of what she knew. "It was you," she whispered again as her hands retreated and went to her own bloodied gash. "You killed. And you liked it." Her words shook Van to the core of his being and no matter how much training and practice he had, he couldn't just stand there and listen to her tell him how much of a monster he was. How did she know? Was that another power that Escaflowne now possesed? To show the past? 

Hitomi watched Van take a few steps away from her. What he was thinking his face didn't show, but his eyes told the whole story. For the first time she saw that his eyes were what gave him away. Fear and contempt moved through out those garnet irises. Who was that contempt for? Hitomi wondered silently. Was he angry at her for saying it? Or himself? Or maybe even someone else.

"How?" Hitomi watched his eyes narrow and a sort of rage and confusion blot out the fear. "How did you find out?" She was about to answer him put his fears to rest when the door slammed open and Millerna entered a bucket in her hands and a person that Hitomi wasn't sure she wanted to see at the moment, the cat girl--Merle. Though Merle did look rather guilty, Hitomi still couldn't believe she had lead her to her near death.

"Oh Hitomi," Millerna cooed her face still rather macabre and it became worse as the sadness came over her face. It was like watching a corpse trying to feel bad for someone, and even though Hitomi knew Millerna meant nothing but good things the look still sent an unwanted chill down her spine.

Millerna leaned over her and Hitomi watched as she began to soak a piece of cloth in an oddly smelling basin. The water most likely had something else  mixed in it and Hitomi knew it by the time the cloth touched her still open wounds. A burning sensation pricked at the skin and Hitomi gritted her teeth hoping that she didn't cry out. She had been through worse when she had been in the nomadic tribe. Surviving this would be a cinch. Plus it was probably to help make sure there wouldn't be any infection.

Still as she suffered through the ministrations, Hitomi caught Van talking rather heatedly with Merle in the corner of the room. She seemed to just listen to him at first but then Hitomi's attention turned back towards Millerna and her concoction from hell. She was digging into the gash on her arm and right then Hitomi could reel back the cry that leapt from her lips. Millerna winced and drew back her hands slowly.

"Sorry," she said as she dipped the cloth back into the basin. Hitomi, close to passing out, turned her and gave her a half-hearted glare, while out of the corner of her eye she noticed Van and Merle were back and staring at her. Van's face appeared to hold some sort of emotion until he looked back at Merlel. They then began to converse telepathically, at least that is what it seemed like to Hitomi as neither of the duo spoke before Van gave a swift jerk of his head. He then turned his heel and left the room. Merle stayed for a few moments before glancing back with a face the said a mix between "I'm sorry" and "I really don't want to do this" but Hitomi supposed at the moment she'd take that apology because Millerna was still prodding the gash.

"Ow!" Hitomi reared up.

"Sorry!" Millerna once more apologized.

 

Hours later, Millerna returned to the servants' quarters her nearly dead on her feet despite the fact that she was once more back to normal. Her hands shook and she nearly fell bonelessly to the warm comforting bed, except Dryden, Yukari, Amano, and Allen were all in her room looking to her as if she had called them all together. Taking a few moments Millerna wondered if she had and had just forgotten about it while she helped Hitomi. The poor girl would now have a scar on her arm despite the magic working.

"Do you have any idea what Escaflowne did?" the first words that raced out of Yukari's voice stunned Millerna for a moment, she had been use to their welcoming silence. Instead of talking she shook her head.

"How could she?" Allen snorted, "You can't exactly tell exactly what happened from wounds. Van won't even allow us to see the room so we don't know if she even moved around or not."

"Weren't you in the room Allen?" Dryden asked arching a brow before turning to Millerna and asking, "How bad was it." This time she couldn't reply with a one word sentence or a shrug. Looking tiredly at the man she still considered a lothario even after these years she sighed.

"She's going to scar. Even with the magic and myself working on the wound something happened. Maybe it was his doing or something else," Millerna shrugged her tired shoulders and so that the rest wouldn't ask her where the scar was she merely pointed to her left forearm. "The King was irritable but it’s nothing out of the ordinary from him. So, don't get your hopes up that she's the key to breaking this curse. Whatever this curse might be."

"Very well then," Dryden spoke up first and looked at the rest of the group. "We'll see you later Millerna." And with that he led the rest of the group away.

  
  


Folken stood his eyes gazing out at the night sky. Was it the same sky that the rest of the world or had the curse kept that stilled as well? He didn't know how far this curse extended and while he had tried to test its limits, Van had become more and more suspicious of his doings. It would not do for his brother to do something irrational, so he’d stopped. Plus a horror had already happened today. Escaflowne had awakened. It had reacted to the girl and now the clock was ticking, not for him though. But time was going to soon go quickly.

 


End file.
